The Other Woman
by JaneDoh
Summary: Will one statement from John change everything? DoggettReyes


**Title:** The Other Woman

**Author:** JaneDoh

**Disclaimer:** Does anything even need to be said here? I mean, duh, it is FANfiction.

**Author's notes: **This is actually the first X-Files story I wrote back in 2005 but never really thought about posting it until now.

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It was the end of a long week, and the two agents were packing away files that had been taken from the FBI headquarters. They sat on Monica's couch trying to put the files back in order so they could hopefully sneak them back on Monday morning with no one the wiser that they had been taken in the first place. John glanced at Monica sideways, his head tilted slightly and a small grin on his face, as if to show they shared the secret. Monica returned the smile, glad that they had an excuse to be at her apartment instead of in the basement at work. They sat in silence as the moment began slipping away.

"Do you want to grab some dinner?" Reyes blurted out, and cringed inwardly as soon as the words had escaped her lips. She wished she'd said something a little more subtle but she had been caught up in the moment. Doggett looked at her awkwardly then glanced absently at his left wrist. He wasn't wearing a watch, and Reyes guessed it was more a manoeuvre to break their gaze.

But his next statement floored her.

"I, uh, actually have a girl coming over tonight." He kept looking down for a few seconds before facing Reyes again. She felt as if she had been punched in the stomach and it took a few moments for her to compose herself. A brief image of disbelief washed over her face and Doggett would've been lucky to have picked it even though he was looking directly at her. She tried to cover her feelings by breaking the silence.

"Sorry, I didn't realize. I just thought it might be a good idea if you didn't have anything planned." She tried to give him her best happy-go-lucky smile, as if it had been a throw away statement. "Anyway, maybe next time." He replied with a weak smile.

"Well, I'd better get going, she will probably be there within the hour." He stood up from the couch and Reyes mirrored his movements. He walked briskly towards the door but paused slightly before he closed it.

"So I guess I'll, um, see you later," he said, looking as though he would do anything to distance himself from the whole situation.

"Yeah, sure. See you later," she echoed as the door closed quietly behind him.

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Reyes slowly sat back down on the couch, her hands cradling her head as she replayed what had just happened. How had things gotten to this point? In those years that they had been apart, she had often thought of him and what path his life had taken after the heartbreak of losing his son. She felt she had a special bond with John, even if it was one that was linked to tragedy. Maybe that was why he didn't want things to progress between them; was he reminded of his son every time he saw her? She had hoped that as they spent more time together, there might be new memories to share and although she never expected John to forget about Luke – hell, she knew she could never forget the horror of finding the child lying in that field – she prayed that time would help heal his suffering. Since she had started working with him her feelings had intensified and it pained her to think that their relationship was stuck in limbo. She had certainly dropped enough hints; even if it was just holding his gaze a little longer than was necessary, or squeezing his hand just a bit more than could be interpreted as being there for him as a friend. And there were times where she thought he did the same, but was she just reading too much into the situation because that was what she wanted to see?

And then he goes and shatters the whole illusion by telling her he has a woman coming over to his house. Where the hell had this come from? He'd never said anything about someone else before and then out of the blue he dropped a bombshell on her, and it shocked her, and it annoyed her, and it upset her all at once. Reyes let her hands fall to her lap and stared at them, thinking. Who was this other woman to waltz in and take John from her? She stood up and grabbed her car keys. She couldn't stand the thought of him with someone else, at least not without finding out for sure what his feelings were. As she walked to her car, she hoped that she would be able to think of something appropriate to say by the time she had made the journey to his house.

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Thoughts raced through her mind as she drove to Doggett's house, and the car's speed slowly crept up. Reyes didn't realise until she saw a familiar intersection ahead – the one where she had almost lost her life those few months ago – and she squeezed the brake, a little too heavily. The car skidded slightly but came to a stop easily. Reyes took a few deep breaths. There was no need to kill herself getting there. She pondered how similar the situation was. Could she have avoided the crash last time if she hadn't been distracted by her daydreaming? But maybe the accident was meant to be; she knew that it had affected John deeply and maybe that was their chance to take things further, but they had let it slip away. Maybe she should have taken the initiative that night he dropped her home and kissed him. At least she would have known where she stood and not be in this situation now, madly racing to his house to tell him God knows what at an inappropriate and awkward time. His house came into sight and the memory of them together in her car rushed at her. The way John had looked at her that night – she wasn't just imagining it – there was definitely something between them. She quickly got out of the car and walked up his front steps before she had a chance to talk herself out of it, then knocked on the door three times.

XXXXX

As the echo of the last tap from her knuckles faded, a terrifying thought hit her. What if the other woman was already here? It wouldn't be fair to have this conversation with John now. Or what if John answered the door expecting the other woman, and found her standing there?

"John, it's me…..Monica," she called out, partly as a warning. There was no turning back now.

"Oh…. I'll be there in a minute," a voice called from the other side of the door. It was probably only half a minute but it seemed like an age before the door partially opened and John appeared, standing in the gap.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, with a questioning look.

"I need to talk to you."

"What...now?" He looked at her like she was an escaped mental patient.

"Yes," she said looking him straight in the eye, trying to cover the nervous feeling that rippled through her.

"Well, you'd better come in then." He opened the door fully as Reyes walked in. She glanced around the room and, to her relief, it appeared empty. She turned to face him as he closed the door. Was he looking outside to check that no one else was here yet? He looked nervous, like the night he had planned was falling apart in front of him.

"I'm sorry about my timing, but this is important."

Doggett sighed, and led her to the couch. As they sat, he prompted her to continue.

"Is it something that couldn't wait until Monday?"

Was he annoyed at her? The situation was not exactly how she had envisioned it was going to be when she finally told him her feelings. There were no chances to misinterpret them as a sign of strong friendship, or pass it off as a joke, or blame it on having had a few too many drinks. This was it: the moment of truth.

"John, I know that we share some painful memories. And that there will always be a certain amount of grief that is attached to them."

His features remained stern.

"But we have always been there for each other and I like to think that sharing that burden makes it easier on both of us."

His expression faltered slightly, as though her words were probing at places he preferred to keep hidden.

"Since we started working together, I've seen the side of you that you try to keep hidden from others. You try to keep up the tough ex-cop act but I know you too well, John. You want everyone to think that you can cope on your own and you don't need support but I'm the one who is there to see it when you let your guard down."

His face was unreadable.

"And I _want_ to be the one who is there at those moments."

Her statement was met by silence. What was it going to take to get through to him?

Reyes took a small breath and chewed on her bottom lip nervously.

"I love you, John."

He stared at her blankly.

"I know." His voice remained even, devoid of emotion. She waited for him to continue. She'd laid it all on the line for him and he was sitting there as though her pouring her heart out didn't affect him at all. She knew that being the 'tough guy' was his image but she thought he was comfortable enough not to pretend with her. Suddenly, all her emotions hit her at once.

"And does that not mean anything to you?" She could feel her blood pulsing through her ears. He remained calm, staring her in the eyes as though he was on the verge of saying something.

But he didn't.

Reyes felt her heart sinking. She'd given him his chance, and he'd thrown it back in her face. At first, she felt hurt. And then her anger started to grow; she knew that he had feelings for her, even if they weren't as intense as she had imagined, and he could sit there so easily and disregard them.

"You can't deny that you feel something too." Still nothing. Reyes shook her head slightly as she watched the man before her crush a chance at happiness.

"I thought you knew me, John. That I was willing to give us a chance if only you had the guts to ask for it. You know what? You may think you are Mr Tough Guy but you're a relationship coward."

She was on a roll now. Monica could be the most sympathetic and understanding friend, but when she was upset and felt passionate about something, you didn't want to cross her.

"And don't try to say that you are worried about being rejected. You just admitted you already know how I feel about you. So you were guaranteed that if you opened up to me, the feelings would be reciprocated."

She couldn't believe what was unfolding around her. She had left herself vulnerable and John was sitting there as though this was a joke – a game.

"And then you have the nerve to tell me that you have a woman coming over to your house tonight." She looked at him defiantly despite the glistening in her eyes. And it was finally time for the question that had been eating away at her all night.

"Who is she?"

John held her gaze. The anticipation was torture.

And then a cheeky smile played at the corner of his mouth.

"You."

He gave her a few seconds to realise how easily she had played into his set-up. "Maybe I know you a little better than you thought."


End file.
